OREGON MUSIC / AUGUST 2002 photo Buko TWO LOUIES, August 2002 - Page 3 By Lisa Lepine ave Carter, a singer and songwriter who with partner Tracy Grammer Dwas one of the fastest-rising acts in contemporary folk music, has died July 19th of a massive heart attack in Hadley, MA. He would have tunred 50 on August 13. Carter had the rare ability to pen songs that were at once deeply spiritual, often mystical, and yet universal in their emotional scope and melodic allure. Many predicted Carter and Grammer would become major stars. Their latest compact disc, “Drum Hat Buddha,’’ released on the Western Massachusetts label Signature Sounds, was seen as a major breakthrough record, prompting the Associated Press to say of Carter, who wrote the songs for the duo, “He writes songs that can stand with the best of contemporary singer-songwriters or sound like they were written 100 years ago.’’ The Los Angeles Times announced Mr. Carter as “a major lyrical talent,’’ and Great Britain’s Folk Roots magazine said his songs were “destined to become the stuff of legend.’’ The duo was just becoming known outside the vibrant subculture of modern folk music. Joan Baez had recently embraced Mr. Carter’s music in the same fervor with which she famously promoted the songs of Bob Dylan in the 1960s and Dar Wil- liams in the ‘90s. She planned to record several of Mr. Carter’s songs and to use them in a world tour, as she did nationally last spring. In a Globe profile of Mr. Carter and Grammer last fall, Baez praised Mr. Carter’s ability to write intimate songs that “are available to other people.’’ “It’s a kind of genius, you know,’’ she said, “and Dylan had the biggest case of it. But I hear it in Dave’s songs, too.’’ A Portland memorial service will be held photo Jeff Bizzell photo Friday August 16 with the location to be announced on www.daveandtracy.com LL name right instead. We all have our priorities. Incidently, I ran David Murphy’s vocals on my PROTOOLS session files of this particular recording through my tuner on my computer, and Murphy hits his notes just fine. Perhaps you should have said that you just didn’t like his voice, which is perfectly legitimate. Just a heads up. Love, FUNK U TOO Sean NOWLAND (not norton) of Funk Shui Dear Two Louies [email protected] Thanks for the nice review of the new FUNK P.S. If I have sent this to the wrong person, SHUI, GIANT SIZED MASTERS OF record. please forward it for me. I don’t have the magazine in front of me, so I’m sending this to the editor. PROJECT SNAFU Throughout the article you refered to me as Hi gang, Sean Norton. I am Sean Nowland. I just want to let you know that I am faced It seems to me while you were putting a slam with a couple of guys who went out and bought the of my guitar player David Murphy’s singing voice rights to my projects name. I have met with them in bold faced type in the center of the page, maybe you could have proof read your article and got my Gary Fountaine goes Gold (photo: Archives) Continued on page 23 TWO LOUIES, August 2002 - Page 3 Page 4 - TWO LOUIES, August 2002 TWO LOUIES, August 2002 - Page 5 MANAGEMENT DEALS: artist, the manager will obviously have much more contain provisions allowing an early termination THE BASIC DEAL POINTS leverage than the artist will. In fact, sometimes of the management contract if the parties’ respec- You wonder about people who made [and lost] the artist is facing essentially a “take it or leave it” tive expectations are not met. Often, for example, a fortune, and you always think they drank it up situation. management agreements provide that if a record or stuck it up their nose. That’s not usually what Once the most basic terms of the management deal is not obtained within a certain period of time, brings on the decline. It’s usually the battle to keep your creative child alive while keeping your busi- ness shark alive. You have to develop cunning and shrewdness, and other things that are not well-suited to the arts. --Joni Mitchell I think I’m lucky I didn’t get paid enough to drown in the syrup of success. -- Iggy Pop deal are agreed upon, a detailed written manage- or if the artist does not earn a certain amount of ment agreement will then be prepared by one of income each year, the artist will have the right to eeping one’s “creative child” side and the parties’ attorneys. At that point, there will terminate the management contract. “business shark” side alive at the same often then be some further negotiations between A manager’s compensation is typically based Ktime is a hard job for anyone, but espe- the parties concerning some of the detailed sec- on a percentage commission of the artist’s earnings. cially so for successful artists who are often living tions of the written management agreement. If so, Therefore a prospective manager will often push in a pressure cooker type of environment. then a revised version of the written management for a long-term management contract, so that the A solid manager can greatly help an artist to agreement will be prepared before the artist and manager can participate in the artist’s income for balance, in a healthy way, the artist’s creative needs manager actually sign the agreement. as long as possible. The artist, on the other hand, with the artist’s business needs, not to mention Although it is not possible within the space may not want to get locked into a long-term rela- tionshiptionship wwithith a managmanager,er, parparticularlyticularly if the arartisttist “If the artist and the manager have signed a doesdoes not knowknow howhow compatiblecompatible the artistartist willwill bebe three-year management contract, and then some- withwith the managmanager,er, oror if the artistartist is not suresure hohoww muchmuch thethe managermanager willwill bebe ableable toto contributecontribute toto time during that three years the artist signs a fi ve- the artist’sartist’s carcareer.eer. year recording contract with a record company, 2. Manager’s Compensation. Managers usuallyusually receivereceive inin tthehe rrangeange ooff fi f tfteeneen t oto twtwentyenty the manager will normally be entitled to receive a percentpercent ofof thethe artist’sartist’s grossgross income.income. ThisThis manager’smanager’s certain specifi ed share of the future record royal- commissioncommission is separateseparate from,from, and in additionaddition to,to, thethe commissionscommissions paidpaid toto bookingbooking agenciesagencies forfor ties even after the three-year management contract bookingbooking shows.shows. has ended.” Management contracts usually contain very complicatedcomplicated cclauseslauses ppertainingertaining ttoo ccommissions.ommissions. the many other valuable services a good manager constraints of an article like this to discuss all of the Some management contracts, for example, pro- performs. Yet, the artist-manager relationship is important aspects of management contracts, there vide for one particular commission percentage fraught with many potential problems for an artist, are several aspects which are particularly impor- for income from record sales, and a different since there are many ways in which an incompe- tant: (1) The future duration of the artist-manager percentage for other types of income. In addition, tent or dishonest manager can sabotage an artist’s relationship; (2) The manager’s compensation; and management contracts will sometimes provide for career, intentionally or unintentionally. (3) If the “artist” is a band, then the possibility of changes in the manager’s commission rate as the When choosing a manager, an artist should personnel changes in the band. artist’s income increases. evaluate the prospective manager’s knowledge 1. Future Duration of the Artist-Manager Incidentally, there is one aspect of manage- of (and connections in) the music business, the manager’s personal compatibility with the artist, “Managers usually receive in the range of fi f- and the amount of time the prospective man- teen to twenty percent of the artist’s gross income. ager will be able to devote to the artist. It is also important to check out the prospective manager’s This manager’s commission is separate from, and background. in addition to, the commissions paid to booking After the artist and the prospective manager have decided that they want to have an artist-man- agencies for booking shows.” ager relationship, they (or their attorneys) should Relationship.Relationship. ManagementManagement contractscontracts generallygenerally mentment ccontractsontracts that ccomesomes as a ssurpriseurprise ttoo manmanyy then discuss and negotiate the specifi c terms of have an initial term of one to two years, and often artists, which is that the artist’s fi nancial obliga- their future relationship, such as how long their give the manager the option to renew the contract tions to the manager don’t necessarily end when relationship is to last, what the manager’s com- once a year for several more years after the initial the management contract expires. This is because pensation will be, and what the manager’s specifi c one or two-year term expires. many (if not most) management contracts provide responsibilities will be. Before an artist and manager enter into than even after the contract expires, the manager The outcome of these negotiations will be a management contract, they should carefully will continue to receive income from deals which greatly affected by the relative bargaining power evaluate and discuss their expectations of each had been entered into during the term of the man- of the artist and the manager.